An In-Depth Guide to Philodendron Care

Are you a newbie gardener or plant parent looking for a low maintenance, almost bomb-proof houseplant? Well, I’ve got the ideal plant for you! The genus Philodendron contains many different species that are easy to care for and quite forgiving. This guide is all about how to take care of Philodendrons.

Growth Habits & Characteristics

Philodendrons come in a vast and unique variety of different leaf shapes and characteristics. In general, they can be categorized into two different growth habits: Climbing and non-climbing.

Climbers need a totem or moss pole structure for support. As the plant grows up the totem, the leaves will morph from the smaller juvenile leaves to larger, more mature leaves. This can make identifying Philodendrons extremely difficult, as many species have mature leaves that look nothing like their juvenile leaves. Climbing Philodendrons will also have aerial roots that sprout from nodes that help cling to their support structures. These allow the vines to scramble up tall rainforest trees to reach the light. While aerial roots may not look particularly appealing, they are still an important part of the plant, and it is best to let them grow and avoid cutting them off. Some examples of climbers are Philodendron hederaceum micans (Velvet Leaf Philodendron) and Philodendron scandens (Heart Leaf Philodendron).

Non-climbing Philodendrons have an upright, compact growth habit but can get very large. These varieties are able to tolerate higher light levels than the climbing types, but should not be placed in direct sunlight. Examples of upright Philodendrons are Philodendron gloriosum or Philodendron billietiae.

Soil

Any potting mix that you use for Philodendrons should be airy and well-draining with plenty of chunky bits like perlite, vermiculite and orchid bark. Use a good aroid mix; you may have to create your own like I do with this recipe.

Philodendrons prefer being slightly root-bound, so avoid planting in too-large of a pot. Repotting is best performed every 1.5-2 years, ideally in early spring. Increase the pot size by no more than two inches each time. A pot that is too large can increase the chance of root rot.

Watering

A good watering technique would be to water when the top two inches of soil is dry. Perform this assessment by sticking your finger into the soil and feeling for moisture. If you’re a truly exceptional plant parent, you can pick up the pot and determine if a watering is necessary based off of weight. Another option would be to use a plant watering spike.

If you want to be extremely precise, you can also use a moisture meter to help determine how how much moisture is left in your soil and if a watering is due.

In the winter, when temperatures drop and growth slows, allow your soil to go dry between waterings.

Here are some signs of incorrect watering:

Leaves that droop or begin to curl indicates that your plant is in the beginning stages of underwatering. In advanced stages, the leaves will start to brown, crisp up, and fall off the plant. Don’t wait until this stage!

If you see leaves turning yellow and falling off, and your soil is always sopping wet, then this is indicative of overwatering. This can be accompanied by root rot or crown rot if you do not immediately correct your watering habits. Do note that regular leaf senescence is perfectly normal; older leaves turn yellow and fall off and new, fresh leaves replace them. But if your new leaves are the ones dying, then you have a problem.

In general, it’s better to err on the side of having the soil run dry briefly between waterings rather than keeping it constantly wet.

Light

As with many tropical plants, Philodendrons are quite tolerant of low light. However, while a plant can survive in low light, it won’t thrive and will definitely become leggy (long stems with sparse, small leaves). It is best to grow Philodendrons in medium to bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight; if you move your plant to a brighter location and multiple leaves start to bleach and turn yellow at the same time, then it is receiving too much light and getting sunburned.

Humidity

Philodendrons can grow in the normal humidity levels of an indoor setting, as long as there is no heating or air-conditioning. However, if you want your plants to thrive and do well, 60% humidity may be best. Some species can possibly go as low as 40%. As a FYI, Philodendrons can tolerate low humidity but may not thrive. If you give your plant ideal humidity conditions, they will grow more quickly overall. Their leaves will grow larger, appear glossier and unfurl faster.

The best way to achieve this if you don’t want to be misting your plants constantly is to use a humidifier. Besides, misting by hand only raises the humidity very briefly.

“But how do I even measure the humidity around my plants?” you might ask.

With a hygrometer. They are readily available and very affordable. If you want to keep indoor tropical plants, investing in one may be a good idea, especially for those who live in regions that require near-constant use of heaters or air-conditioning for most of the year.

Temperature

Ideally, keep them warm, around 70-85 degrees F (20-30 degrees C). They can tolerate intermediate temperatures between 60-70 degrees F (15-21 degrees C) quite well, but growth will be much slower. Anything under 55 degrees F (12 degrees C) or lower for the long term and your plant will suffer and begin to drop leaves.

Fertilizing

During their active growing phase, Philodendrons can benefit from a monthly feeding at regular strength (make sure to check the instructions on whatever commercial fertilizers you use), or a “weakly weekly” diluted feeding. However, it is generally unnecessary to constantly fertilize indoor houseplants. Too much fertilization in a potted plant can quickly cause a build-up of salts and minerals, which can be detrimental. I would recommend a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote. No fertilizer is necessary during the winter months when plant growth naturally slows.

Propagation

There are various ways that Philodendrons can be propagated: by seed, tip and stem cuttings, layering and offsets.

Growing by seed is difficult, and I would not recommend it. It can take years before your Philodendron is mature enough to flower, and most plants can’t do it in an indoor setting. Even outdoors, you would have to wait for the plant to get quite large for it to produce flowers and for pollination to be successful.

Rooting tip and stem cuttings in water and soil is the easiest and quickest method. For climbing-type Philodendrons, you can take a tip cutting by removing the growing tip of a vine (make sure to go back on the vine far enough to include a node or any aerial roots). Place in a jar of clean water or pot up in soil. If you propogate in water first, make sure that you have a well-developed root system before potting in soil.

To take a stem cutting, cut a length of vine and then cut the vine up into several 2-3 inch pieces, making sure that each piece contains a leaf and a node. These can then be placed in water or soil as in the procedure above.

Layering involves, essentially, laying the nodes of a vine onto the surface of the soil, burying the nodes and letting the roots develop directly into the soil. The vine remains attached to the mother plant until each baby plant has a developed root system. Once the babies are established in 1-2 months, they can be separated from the mother.

Upright Philodendrons are not as easy to propogate because they lack the rambling vines filled with spaced-out nodes and pre-developed aerial roots. However, they do produce offsets (usually at the base of the mother plant), which you can then remove and pot up. Let the offset grow until it’s about 1/3 of the size of the mother plant and has developed a sufficient root system before removing it from the mother and potting up.

Pruning

Climbing-type Philodendrons don’t mind a trim, so feel free to cut off leggy vines; this encourages new growth at the nodes of the nearest cuts. You can also root the trimmings directly into the same pot to create a bushier-looking plant.

Upright Philodendrons generally do not need pruning unless they are physically encroaching on other objects or structures.

Other situations where you may need to prune include:

• removing damaged, infected or diseased leaves;
• removing dying leaves that may be unsightly;
• increasing air circulation if your plant is growing too thickly;
• removing pest infestations.

Toxicity

Like most aroids, Philodendrons can be toxic to humans and animals due to the calcium oxalates that they contain. The severity of symptoms does depend on the amount ingested. Typically, ingestion will cause mouth and abdominal irritation and swelling, nausea and possible vomiting. Either way, it is best to keep these plants out of reach of animals and children.

Extra tips

Keep the leaves of your Philodendrons nice and squeaky clean by inviting them to a pool party! (But don’t actually take them to the pool, that would not be good). All you have to do is take them to the bathroom and wash the leaves down in the shower. This will remove dust and grime and dislodge any pests. You can follow up the shower with a spray of warm soapy water every few weeks. This will help prevent pests from establishing themselves.

Philodendrons do vary in price depending on the species. Philodendron scandens (Heart Leaf Philodendron) is readily available and could be a good beginner plant for newbies to experiment with. Once you understand the care required, you can branch out into less common and more expensive plants. Don’t rush into buying the pricey plants if you are just starting out; nothing is more demoralizing than killing something super expensive and rare.

So, are you ready to start your botanical lifestyle journey with Philodendrons? If you have your own tips on how to care for these plants that I haven’t covered, shoot them down in the comment section so everybody can learn!

Always Keep Growing,

Heather (a.k.a. The Botanical Chick)

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